July 10 marked the last day of the Great American State Fair, an event meant to bring the country together, but one Democrats used to try to tear it apart. The fair was set to honor the uniqueness of each state, but multiple Democratic governors refused to allow their states to participate. Their attempts to sabotage the fair and ruin the 250th celebration of the nation’s founding are indicative of the sinister depths the Left will sink to achieve their political malevolence.
One of the main culprits of this shameful behavior was Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D). As someone born and raised in Philadelphia and residing in the Philadelphia metropolitan area, I am embarrassed by Shapiro’s behavior. Often hailed as a moderate, Shapiro’s lie that he was unable to find any Pennsylvania businesses that would contribute or sponsor the Keystone State’s presence at the fair is reflective of his true duplicitous nature. Fortunately, Pennsylvania has two senators, Sen. John Fetterman (D) and Sen. Dave McCormick (R), who prefer patriotism over partisan politics.
I contacted Sen. McCormick’s office about the ordeal. He called it an “honor” to ensure that Pennsylvania “took its rightful place” at the celebration. He hailed Pennsylvanians who contributed at the last minute and praised his Democratic colleague, Sen. John Fetterman.
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“Pennsylvania is where America’s story began, and when the call went out, our commonwealth answered,” McCormick told me in an interview. “In a matter of days, our farmers, manufacturers, small businesses, and neighbors stepped forward to make sure the Keystone State took its rightful place at America’s 250th birthday celebration.”
“It’s been an honor to help bring this booth to life, along with my friend Senator John Fetterman, and remind every American of where our nation began and the important role we still play today,” said McCormick.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the epicenter of American history. It is arguably the city where “it all began” for the United States. It is the city where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were debated, argued, constructed, written, and adopted. The Pennsylvania city is one of the most important in Western Civilization, and not having Pennsylvania represented at the city would be a grave sin. There is no United States or America 250 without Pennsylvania. Shapiro’s attempted sabotage was shameful. We are lucky to have two senators who saw the forest instead of Shapiro’s agenda-driven trees.
Martina White is the state representative for the 170th district in Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives, located in the northeast section of Philadelphia. She also praised McCormick and Fetterman and expressed dismay at Shapiro’s decision not to “showcase” Pennsylvania.
“Pennsylvania is the state where it all began,” White told me. “It’s baffling the governor would not want to showcase Pennsylvania’s history and products in the Great American State Fair, but I’m grateful for our senators who sought to right that wrong.”
“I’m incredibly proud of Pennsylvania and would think the governor should be, too,” White added.
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It ultimately proved to be an embarrassment for Shapiro, and his political malfeasance was exposed. President Donald Trump is, after all, the first Republican to win Pennsylvania in a presidential election since 1988, doing so twice in 2016 and 2024. There were plenty of Pennsylvanians who would have gladly contributed to the state fair, but, as previously mentioned, Shapiro preferred to sabotage and try to embarrass Trump instead. Shapiro wasn’t fooling anyone, least of all political commentator Mary Walter.
“Shapiro told the New Republic he would not send a delegation and claimed that his administration canvassed opinions among PA businesses and that ‘none of them were interested,’” Walter told me.
“Yet when Senators Fetterman and McCormick inquired, they received all kinds of responses from businesses that jumped at the chance,” said Walter. “Also, a private citizen, Beth Ann Bossio, was able to get Christmas trees and other products to bring down herself!”
“So something tells me Gov. Shapiro wanted to boycott the Fair but didn’t have the guts to say so and instead hid behind a lie,” said Walter.
Others shared in their profound disappointment with the Pennsylvania governor. The mayor of Slippery Rock, Jondavid Longo, was also critical of Shapiro.
“I hear you often speak of leadership and setting the example,” Longo said in June in a social media post directed to Shapiro. “So I’m severely disappointed that Pennsylvania, the birthplace of our nation, is not participating in @Freedom250’s Great American State Fair, a free exposition celebrating the people, traditions, innovations, and spirit that make America the greatest nation on Earth.”
“America’s 250th birthday is worth celebrating proudly, even if you don’t like who The People have chosen to serve in The Oval Office,” read Longo’s post. “Freedom isn’t a spectator sport. Let’s lead.”
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Longo praised the common-sense senators who worked to proudly display Pennsylvania’s contributions to the nation and put politics aside to prioritize Pennsylvanians and the nation’s 250th celebration — something the governor was unable to do.
“I’m grateful for Senators McCormick and Fetterman for putting politics aside to unify ahead of our nation’s great milestone birthday,” Longo said. “And grateful to support this effort as America First Policy Institute Pennsylvania chairman.”
Sonny Mazzone, a Philadelphia ward leader and political strategist for the Political Action Committee South Philadelphia Votes, expressed similar sentiments about Shapiro’s “slimy” sabotage.
“The silver lining is seeing Pennsylvania’s bipartisan senatorial delegation unite in finding a way for Pennsylvania to be represented in the Great American State Fair,” Mazzone told me. “But that fact illustrates what a slimy move it was for Gov. Shapiro to pretend that sponsorships and funding could not be procured, which Senators Fetterman and McCormick ultimately proved to be false.”
We should never forget Shapiro’s actions during this important moment in the nation’s history. Shapiro embodies the worst of Democrats. He is not a moderate in any way but an agenda-driven Democratic hack who falls in line with DNC marching orders. He should be shamed for his antics, and voters should remember this when he inevitably positions himself to run for higher office.
Democrats regularly worked to criticize, demonize, vilify, and embarrass the president during the semiquincentennial. America’s 250th should have brought us together, yet Democrats tried to tear the country apart at the seams. They are obstructive, divisive, and hate-filled political operatives masquerading as elected officials.
On Friday, Sen. McCormick thanked those who helped make Pennsylvania’s Pavilion at the Great American State Fair a success. It was good to see some of our country’s elected leaders come together to honor the greatest country in the world. McCormick and Fetterman should be an example of how politicians should be in the country. They can disagree, but in the end, they are working for a common good, the American people. As America 250 has shown, it is a notion that too many Democrats have forgotten or otherwise disregarded.
In a world of politicians and those striving for elected office, be a Dave McCormick or a John Fetterman, not a Josh Shapiro.